MSD 6AL

[Riceburner]

Anyone run one of these who can give some feedback on weather they are worthwhile or not?  I'm running a scorcher electronic dizzy with MSD blaster2 coil on a carbed L28...

[Mr240z]

I ran the NEW PROCOMP 6A / CSI - CDI IGNITION ( 6AL) I brought of eaby for $150 with a 280zx dissy and triple webers, was perfect..

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/NEW-PROCOMP-6A-CSI-CDI-IGNITION-6AL-/140438716864?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20b2ccc1c0#ht_3411wt_930

[Mr240z]

After 3 years it's still working perfect, Never had a problem with it..

 

I don't get what your trying to say, shouldn't it be mounted there, It's never missed a beat.

 

But the Zed's gone now to it's new owner and still going strong.

[Riceburner]

I was thinking of mounting it on passenger kick panel. Did it come with wiring like the MSD does? Did they say you needed different spark plug leads? Did you use shielded cable? 

[Zedman240®]

Heat kills everything so sensitive electronics should be kept as cool as possible; that's why ignition modules die relatively often. In the cabin is a good place.

[Six_Shooter]

I've mounted dozens of CDI ignition boxes in the engine compartment, rarely had any problems. Any problems we did have seemed to be from inferior product.

 

I've ran them from just adding a CDI box to a stock ignition system, to replacing everything including the dizzy. All incarnations seemed to work well.

 

I swapped some coils around on some of the installations (mine) and couldn't say I noticed a difference between using a good stock coil to a good aftermarket coil.

 

Currently I don't run a CDI box, simply because the GM DIS ignition system, that I use, is VERY strong in stock form.

 

While it is nice to keep the electronics as cool as you can, some systems are designed to take the heat.

 

Also I find most ignition module failures are from using cheap replacement units, and or not the right amount of heat sink compound.

[DAT392]

Ive got a msd 6Al mounted under the dash.Ive heard they dont like it if you get them wet.Ive had other ignition systems like ice,crane,accel and would have to say the msd has performed better.Easier starting and no fowling of plugs.

[DAT392]

Just to add,I do have the complete package billet dizzy,hvc coil and 6AL.Maybe ring scorcher and see what they advise?

[Six_Shooter]

I had one of my 6ALs mounted directly behind the headlight area on my old '84 Sunbird (North American car, not sure of Australian equivilant), and only ever had a problem with moisture one time, when it was snowing, but really heavy and wet snow. Enough of this heavy wet snow came in through the grill and past the headlights to cause my car to shut off after driving in this for about 40 minutes or so, at highway speeds.

 

After scratching my head for a bit and making a call to my uncle, to get his input, mind you this was at about 11:30 at night, on a poorly lighted highway, I finally found the issue, and was simply that the magnetic trigger input was shorted from the heavy snow. Wiped it off with a slide of my thumb and was on my way again. The box worked fine for a long time after that, even on the next car, where I mounted it in a different spot.

 

The MSD 6AL is potted, and if you can have any of teh electronics directly effected by moisture you're doing something very wrong. lol

[d3c0y]

I'm running a Crane HI-6 with LX91 coil. I mounted mine on the passenger's kick pannel and i could feel teh difference even with a stock L24.

 

Crane is HI-6 is a digital unit so supposedly a little better than a 6-AL. I got my CDI & coil for around $180 off ebay. I would definitely reccomend buying one. I still even trigger it off the stock points for the moment.

[NZeder]

MSD 6AL are not digital they work well but the digital units are better. Mallory and Summit make a unit that is almost the same as the 6AL but digital and don't need different chips to set the rev limit (a position pot/s are used)

 

These unit I believe are the same (as in Mallory and Summit) and the price is good.

[acf321]

agree with your view there Mike ..

 

I have the 280Z dizzy and have been considering the MSD 6AL, but after doing the homework, the later digital units are significantly more advanced. If you are going down this route, have a look at the MSD 6AL-2. It has more power than the analog 6AL, and has an externally adjustable RPM dial, not chip like the early ones. The next step is the '6 AL-2 Programmable' that allows you have have multiple step RPM cut outs and is laptop compatible. There is a great you tube video I found .. look up MSD and you'll see it. At the end of it all, i'm going to stick with my Nissan Coil, and 280Z dizzy and see where that leads me .. if I need more go, i'll investigate at a later time. 

[d3c0y]

For the record the Crane HI-6 has trim pots on the side to adjust the rev limiters as well.

 

@acf321 I would recommend that you give one of these CDI units ago for under $200 s/h these really are a good mod for the money and you can feel the difference in performance. It will also help your car make more power the more modifications you do to the engine.

[Riceburner]

Anyone have Model numbers/pictures of their installs?

 

Thanks for the advice so far, very helpful 

[Riceburner]

I have purchased an MSD 6AL-2  I think I'm going to mount it right next to the battery on the fire wall, It will be on rubber mounts and will fit it to aluminiun plate to act as heat sink.... Sound ok? All the installs by MSD on youtube are in similar locations  :-\ 

 

Another thought, what about a perspex box over it? Sheild heat, keep it dry and clean....

[Zedman240®]

Cover might inhibit cooling air to it. Is it possible to fit it behind the firewall like behind the glovebox etc? I think anything electronic should be kept as cool as possible. With the Wolf ECU they do highly recommend you mount it in the cabin and not under the bonnet; but that's something different.

[luvemfast]

Wouldn't you also want it as close as practical to the dizzy?

[Riceburner]

Wouldn't you also want it as close as practical to the dizzy?

 

that was my thought also, shorter cable run means less voltage drop... Msd say 5000ohms of resistance means 5000volts less at the plug

[d3c0y]

The MSD unit itself doesnt make the spark - the coil still does that, hence why the coil is next to the dizzy.

 

You should mount the box inside the cabin. They dont like moisture or heat as stated.

There is room under the dash or on the passenger's kick pannel.

[Six_Shooter]

The MSD unit itself doesnt make the spark - the coil still does that, hence why the coil is next to the dizzy.

 

You should mount the box inside the cabin. They dont like moisture or heat as stated.

There is room under the dash or on the passenger's kick pannel.

 

The MSD 6AL does fine in both moisture and high heat conditions.

 

As long as it's not in a direct stream of water or mounted to the exhaust manifold it will live a long life under the hood.

 

Unless the weather patterns have changed since I was Oz, it isn much drier, even the south east and eastern states, than up here in Canada, and I don't see many problems with under hood mounted MSD boxes, I think I've seen one or two, and it was more to do a bad batch of MSD boxes than mounting location, since there were a couple mounted inside that also failed.

[Ben]

My 6AL is under the passenger seat. You can hear it happily buzzing away at idle...

I'll probably put it on the kick panel to make it a bit neater.

[Riceburner]

My 6AL-2 is mounted between the battery and passenger strut tower, MSD said that would be fine and so far so good!

[luvemfast]

It obviously helped you last weekend Gareth, to break the 2min mark at the Island.

Did you actually notice a gain? If so how much, and where? (more torque, revs etc)

How much $$?

[Riceburner]

It was $400. It's heaps smoother to drive, more responsive, better economy (not that I care about that). After starting stone cold it'll idle at 750rpm with no chokes straight away. There's also the rev limiter set for 7000rpm, which is handy and the launch control but thats not hooked up....... yet 

[luvemfast]

Got an opportunity to get one of these, 6 months old for $200.

Do you think it would be worthwhile?